The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering changing its guidelines for self-isolation to make it easier for those who have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus to return to work if they are asymptomatic.
The public health agency, in conjunction with the White House coronavirus task force, is considering an announcement as soon as Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday.
Under the proposed guidance, people who are exposed to someone infected would be allowed back on the job if they are asymptomatic, test their temperature twice a day and wear a face mask, said a person familiar with the proposal under consideration. The person described the proposal on the condition of anonymity because the draft had not been finalized.
The new policy is aimed in particular at workers in critical jobs. But it also comes as the Trump administration is eyeing what it calls a stabilization in infection rates and looks toward rolling back some of the restrictive ...

CDC weighs loosening guidelines for some exposed to virus

PTI Automatic

He is missing the "carnage of IPL" but former New Zealand captain and Kolkata Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum says it is also comforting to be at home as the world battles a pandemic, which has made isolation the new normal.
McCullum, who was named head coach of KKR for the currently-suspended IPL, said the situation demands that everyone stays at home and maintains social distancing, the only way to curb the spread of the virus, which has caused thousands of deaths worldwide.
"Spot on, it's a far cry from the carnage of the IPL and also in India but it's quite nice and comforting to be at home under these circumstances. I was quite busy in the last three years," the former wicket-keeper batsman told 'tvnz.co.nz'.
McCullum had shifted base to Matamata, a town in the shadow of the Kaimai Range Mountains on New Zealand's North Island after his retirement in 2016 to look after his horse syndicate business, Vermair.
He is happy to have got time to work on his passion.
Besides taking .

COVID-19: Away from "carnage of IPL", McCullum finds comfort at home

South Korea's flag carrier Korean Air will put 70 per cent of its 19,000 staff on furlough, it said, as it scrambles to cope with the coronavirus pandemic that has brought global aviation to a standstill.
The airline industry is among the sectors worst hit by the virus and the ensuing travel restrictions, with thousands of flights cancelled, routes cut, and companies facing financial turmoil.
Korean Air is the flagship of the Hanjin group, one of the multifaceted, family-controlled conglomerates known as chaebols that dominate business in South Korea and played a key part in its rise to become the world's 12th-largest economy.
Most of its staff will go on leave from April 16 for six months in response to "deteriorating business circumstances", Korean Air said in a statement.
According to normal South Korean practice, the workers will receive 70 per cent of their normal pay, with most of it -- reportedly up to 90 per cent -- funded by a government scheme for industries in need of ...

Korean Air puts 70 per cent of staff on leave

Researchers have identified a possible target for antiviral treatment for COVID-19 by assessing the overall mechanism by which the novel coronavirus enters host cells, and comparing it with the process seen in other similar viruses.
The researchers, including those from Cornell University in the US, compared the molecular sequence of small proteins involved in the fusion of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, and the SARS virus behind the 2002-03 epidemic, with the host cell membrane.
In the study, published in the journal Antiviral Research, they found that the virus that causes COVID-19, and the SARS virus had a 93 per cent similarity.
The scientists assessed the intricate procedure of membrane fusion in the viruses, which they said is a critical part of the mechanism by which coronaviruses spread.
Membrane fusion, they explained, is a multi-step process that begins with the virus recognising that it's found the right type of cell to infect.
To do this, the virus receives feedback ...

'Potential target for antiviral treatment for COVID-19 identified'

An aerial survey of the Great Barrier Reef shows coral bleaching is sweeping across the area off the east of Australia for the third time in five years.
Bleaching has struck all three regions of the world's largest coral reef system and is more widespread than ever, scientists from James Cook University in Queensland state said Tuesday.
The air surveys of 1,036 reefs in the past two weeks found bleached coral in the northern, central and southern areas, James Cook University professor Terry Hughes said.
"As summers grow hotter and hotter, we no longer need an El Nino event to trigger mass bleaching at the scale of the Great Barrier Reef, Hughes said. Of the five events we have seen so far, only 1998 and 2016 occurred during El Nino conditions."
El Nino is a climate pattern that starts with a band of warm ocean water in the central and east-central Pacific around the equator and affects global weather.
The Great Barrier Reef is made up of 2,900 separate reefs and 900 islands. It is ...

Bleaching on Great Barrier Reef more widespread than ever

Actor Emmanuelle Chriqui has boarded the cast of "Arrow"-verse spinoff Superman & Lois.
Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch are reprising their roles as Superman and Lois Lane in the new series set at The CW.
Chriqui, best known for featuring in movies like You Don't Mess with the Zohan and Wrong Turn, will take on the role of Lana Lang, reported Deadline.
Based on the characters from DC created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the plot revolves around Superman and Lois as they deal with the stress and pressures that come with being working parents today.
Todd Helbing, who earlier served as a showrunner on "The Flash", will write the script and executive produce the series.
Greg Berlanti and his Warner Bros TV-based Greg Berlanti Productions top brass Sarah Schechter and DC's Geoff Johns will also act as executive producers.

Superman & Lois' adds Emmanuelle Chriqui

The wet markets, such as the Huanan Seafood Market in China's virus-hit Wuhan city, are an important "risk factor" for disease spread, the UN biodiversity chief has said as she called for scaling up stricter controls on the sale and consumption of wild species globally.
Wild animals sold in the Huanan Seafood Market are believed to be the source of the novel coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 82,000 lives worldwide so far. The Huanan market was closed after the virus outbreak in China in December last year.
"Live animal markets (also known as 'wet markets' in parts of Asia, such as the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan China, in which live fish, meat and wild animals are sold) are an important risk factor for disease spread as is the global wildlife trade," Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Elizabeth Maruma Mrema said on the occasion of World Health Day on Tuesday.
She said measures taken by countries to reduce the number of live ...

Wet markets important risk factor for disease spread: UN biodiversity chief

About 400 million people working in the informal economy in India are at risk of falling deeper into poverty due to the coronavirus crisis which is having "catastrophic consequences", and is expected to wipe out 195 million full-time jobs or 6.7 per cent of working hours globally in the second quarter of this year, the UN's labour body has warned.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) in its report titled 'ILO Monitor 2nd edition: COVID-19 and the world of work', describes coronavirus pandemic as "the worst global crisis since World War II".
"Workers and businesses are facing catastrophe, in both developed and developing economies. We have to move fast, decisively, and together. The right, urgent, measures, could make the difference between survival and collapse,"  ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said on Tuesday.
Worldwide, two billion people work in the informal sector (mostly in emerging and developing economies) and are particularly at risk, the report said, adding that the ...

About 400 million workers in India may sink into poverty: UN report

Oscar-winning music composer Hans Zimmer and his wife Suzanne have reportedly called it quits.
According to The Blast, the 62-year-old musician on April 3 filed for the dissolution of marriage at the Los Angeles County Courthouse.
The couple are parents to three children. He was previously married to model Vicki Carolin, from 1982 to 1992.
Hans and Vicki have a daughter Zoe.
The music composer is best known for providing background score for movies like Pirates of the Caribbean,Gladiator, Dark Knight trilogy and Interstellar.

Hans Zimmer files for divorce from wife Suzanne

American folk legend John Prine has passed away due to the coronavirus complications. He was 73.
Prine, whose coronavirus diagnosis was revealed on March 17, died on Tuesday, his publicist told Variety.
His wife and manager, Fiona, had on April 3 posted on Twitter that Prine was severely ill after being admitted into intensive care unit of a hospital.
In a career spanning over half a century, Prine churned out heartfelt and unforgettable songs like Angel From Montgomery, Sweet Revenge and In Spite of Ourselves.
He was regarded as one of the greatest by many of his peers including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler and many other music legends.
Born on October 10, 1946 in Maywood, Illinois, the singer-songwritter emerged  on the Chicago folk scene in the late 1960s, when he was discovered by country star Kris Kristofferson.
He is still remembered for his 1971 anti-war track Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, which came at the height of the Vietnam ..

Legendary singer John Prine dies from coronavirus at 73

UN chief has suspended the rotation and deployments of the peacekeepers until June 30 to mitigate the risk of transmission of the novel coronavirus, his spokesman has said.
"Our priorities are to ensure the COVID-19-free status of incoming uniformed personnel, and mitigate the risk that UN peacekeepers could be a contagion vector and simultaneously maintain our operational capabilities," Secretary General Antonio Guterres Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at the daily press briefing on Tuesday.
He said to prevent and contain the risk of transmission of the deadly virus, rotation and deployments of uniformed personnel  individual officers and formed, police and military units  has been suspended until June 30 and the decision has been transmitted to all Troop and Police Contributing Countries, as well as to all relevant peace operations.
Dujarric said a "few, limited exceptions" may be considered to continue to deliver on the mandate, but only in extenuating circumstances on the basis ..

UN chief suspends rotation, deployments of peacekeepers till June 30 amid COVID19 crisis

President Donald Trump has threatened to put a "very powerful" hold on US' funding to the World Health Organization, accusing the UN agency of being "very China centric" and criticising it for having "missed the call" in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump slammed the global health agency for its early guidance aimed at countering the international spread of the coronavirus.
"We're going to put a hold on money spent to the WHO. We're going to put a very powerful hold on it and we're going to see. It's a great thing if it works. But when they call every shot wrong, that's no good," Trump told reporters at his daily White House news conference on Tuesday.
The Geneva-headquartered World Health Organization (WHO), receives vast amounts of money from the United States.
"We pay for a majority or the biggest portion of their money. They actually criticized and disagreed with my travel ban at the time I did it. They were wrong. They've been wrong about a lot of things. They had a .

COVID-19: Trump threatens to freeze WHO funding, accuses it of being 'China centric'

Former ice hockey player Roger Chappot, who played more than 100 games for Switzerland's national team including at the 1964 Winter Olympics, has died due to COVID-19. He was 79.
The International Ice Hockey Federation says Chappot was first treated at a hospital two weeks ago. He returned home before his condition became worse on Apil 1 and he was admitted to an intensive care unit.
The IIHF says Chappot "was a legend in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and one of the best centers in the country in the '60s."
He was the Swiss league's leading scorer in the 1964 season.

Swiss hockey great Chappot dies due to COVID-19

A prominent Communist party member who criticized Chinese leader Xi Jinping's handling of the coronavirus outbreak is being investigated on suspicion of a severe violation of discipline and law, a joint government-party watchdog said.
Ren Zhiqiang is a former head of state-run real estate conglomerate Huayuan Group and a party member who has become known for his outspokenness on sensitive topics such as press censorship.
He dropped from sight in mid-March after publishing an online essay that criticized the leadership's handling of the virus outbreak that originated in December in central China. While government data show COVID-19 apparently subsiding in China, more than 1.4 million people have been infected worldwide.
A one-sentence notice issued Tuesday by the party-government joint disciplinary watchdog body in Beijing's western district said Ren was undergoing a review and monitoring investigation but gave no details and did not mention Ren's article or previous statements.
The ...

China investigates party member critical of Xi over outbreak

Twitter co-founder and chief executive Jack Dorsey said Tuesday he was committing $1 billion of his personal fortune to coronavirus relief through his philanthropic fund.
Dorsey said in a series of tweets that he would transfer his equity in his digital payments group Square to his limited liability corporation Start Small, contributing around 28 percent of his overall wealth.
"Why now? The needs are increasingly urgent, and I want to see the impact in my lifetime," Dorsey said.
"I hope this inspires others to do something similar. Life is too short, so let's do everything we can today to help people now." The move could be the largest from a single individual for coronavirus relief and comes with the pandemic spanning the globe and inflicting a heavy toll in lives and economic devastation on the United States.
Dorsey said that after the pandemic ends, the fund would focus on health and education for girls and "universal basic income" efforts.
Dorsey, who is CEO of both Twitter and ...

Twitter's Jack Dorsey pledges $1 bn for COVID-19 relief effort

The Dutch football federation (KNVB) has said that it was hoping the top two divisions would restart on June 19 following their suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision would keep the Dutch league in line with UEFA, which has warned teams risk exclusion from the next Champions League if their domestic competitions are ended prematurely.
The KNVB revealed its plans on Tuesday during a video conference with professional clubs and other major stakeholders, although leading sides including Ajax, AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven have called for the season to be ended.
The Belgian league recommended last week the current season be declared finished early with the present table accepted as final, becoming the first European league to take such a measure.
"At the explicit request of the clubs, we have explained what it would look like if the RIVM (health authorities) and the government gave the green light to restart certain activities in the Netherlands," the KNVB said in a ...

Dutch FA plans for league to resume on June 19

England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler has raised more than 65,000 pound (USD 80,000) to help fight the coronavirus by auctioning off his World Cup final shirt.
Buttler's shirt, which he wore when completing the last-ball run-out that saw England beat New Zealand at Lord's last year, was sold to raise money for specialist heart and lung centres provided by the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals in London.
Buttler, who earlier in the showpiece match had hit a fifty and batted in the Super Over, put his long-sleeve keeping jersey up for sale on eBay a week ago.
By the time the auction closed on Tuesday, the shirt had attracted 82 bids with the winner paying 65,100 pound.
Buttler, speaking on Monday, said: "It's a very special shirt but I think it takes on extra meaning with it being able to hopefully go to the emergency cause.

Buttler's World Cup final shirt raises 65,000 pound for hospital appeal

Tottenham Hotspur have reminded players of their responsibilities during Britain's coronavirus lockdown after pictures and video on social media emerged of manager Jose Mourinho and several members of his squad that appeared to show them flouting social-distancing rules.
Portuguese boss Mourinho was pictured training with Tanguy Ndombele on Hadley Common, while Davinson Sanchez and Ryan Sessegnon were seen running side by side in the same public park in north London.
Spurs full-back Serge Aurier also posted a video of himself jogging alongside another person on Instagram.
The Premier League has been suspended since mid-March due to the spread of COVID-19.
The outbreak has seen the British government introduce a strict series of measures which, while they allow individuals to go out for a walk or exercise once a day, state they must remain at least two metres apart unless they are with a member of the same household.
"All of our players have been reminded to respect social distancing ..

Tottenham issue warning after Mourinho and players seen training

Footballers and clubs in France's top two leagues have reached a non-binding agreement over a "temporary" pay cut during the coronavirus crisis, the national players' union (UNFP) has said.
"We approved the recommendation this morning," UNFP president Philippe Piat told AFP on Tuesday.
"The idea is that players defer a part of their April wages to allow clubs to cope," during what he called a "dramatic health situation".
Club and player representatives agreed upon a joint "recommendation" that would see footballers accept a temporarily reduced wage, which they will receive once money from TV rights is paid.
Broadcasters Canal+ and beIN Sports have for the time being suspended the payments, the clubs' main source of revenue, after the season was put on hold last month indefinitely.
The pay cuts will be calculated on a sliding scale starting at 20 percent, with the highest earners -- those who pocket over 100,000 euros monthly -- facing a 50 per cent reduction.
Players making less than .

French footballers strike deal to reduce wages

Tottenham Hotspur and England great Jimmy Greaves is being treated in hospital, the Premier League club has announced.
But there was no mention in their brief statement of whether the former striker was suffering from the coronavirus, or indeed the exact nature of the 80-year-old's current condition.
"We can confirm that our record goalscorer Jimmy Greaves is currently being treated in hospital," said a statement on Spurs' official Twitter feed on Tuesday.
"We are in touch with his family and will provide further updates in due course. Everybody at the club sends their best wishes to Jimmy and his family."
Greaves is understood to have been in poor health since suffering a stroke nearly five years ago.
A prolific goalscorer throughout his career, Greaves also played for Chelsea and West Ham, but his greatest success came at Tottenham during a golden era for the London side that saw him score a club record 266 goals in 379 matches from 1961-70.
For decades Greaves held the record for ..

Tottenham and England great Greaves in hospital

Tens of thousands of people in Wuhan, the origin point and epicentre for the coronavirus pandemic, began travelling out of the sprawling city on Wednesday as China lifted its 73-day lockdown, even as the number of fresh COVID-19 cases crossed 1,000 in the country and two new deaths heightened concerns of a rebound in infections.
The Chinese health authority said on Wednesday that 62 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, including 59 cases of people returning from abroad, taking the total tally to 1,042.
Three new domestic cases were reported, including two in Shandong Province and one in Guangdong Province, the National Health Commission (NHC) said.
Also on Tuesday, 137 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were reported and 1,095 asymptomatic cases were still under medical observation, the NHC said.
Asymptomatic coronavirus cases are those who test positive for the virus but do not show any symptoms and have the potential to cause sporadic clusters .

Page 391 - PTI Stories National